So I'm reading this book right now, but I really, really can't stand it. Yet I can't seem to put the damn thing away or get rid of it. It's frustrating as hell, and I'm nearly positive the author has no clue what he's talking about. The book? The Beginnings of Jewishness by Shaye J.D. Cohen. Now, it could be that he's a Cohen. Or it could be that he's a narrow-minded, poorly studied nitwit. He seems to disolve his arguments by simply saying "i don't have the room to discuss it here." The book just irritates me. So put it down, you say! Right. Right.In the past 30 hours, I have seen TWO, count 'em, TWO Orthodox Jews in Lincoln. How do I know? Well, I spose they could be Conservative Jews who are observant with the tzit tzit and yarmulke commandments, but I highly doubt it. Anyhow, one was spotted last night at the mall when Annie and I were scoping out a dinner spot -- he was wearing baggy jeans and a grungy jacket, but there were the corners of the tassels and his yarmulke. The other gentleman I saw today at the ACE Hardware, he was looking for flowers and was wearing old jeans and a T-shirt. I guess it just always captures me to see observent Jews in tzit tzit in Nebraska. I know, there's Jews here, and maybe it's this cozy reminder to me that there really ARE Jews here. But oy. It made me want to go read Talmud or study Torah or say the sh'ma.
And then I saw Ryan riding his bike down 17th street. Wearing the oft-seen skullcap of Islam. We lost touch, didn't we?
Anyhow. The next several weeks will be nothing but boring. Dreadful, even, I imagine. But today got eaten up by a few thrift stores ($1.58 for two shirts), the mall and the Coffee House for some tea, alone. I have to be at the JSchool in 14 hours for some good ole-fashioned work on magazines. Interestingly, I'm graduated, but not done yet.
My mind is bored. (Already.)
